The Will of John Estman or Eastman 1565 Downton

Date: 1564 to 1565
Location: Downton, Wiltshire, England
Surname/tag: Estman

John Eastman's Will was written on 26 April 1564 passed probate on 9 May 1565 at Salisbury.^[1] Clear copy but difficult to read.

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the register copy. Capital F is rendered as F rather than ff. Abbreviations are expanded and additions noted in [square brackets]. Paragraph breaks (where added) and bold text for names are my own for ease of reading.

People mentioned in the Will:

• William Estman (son)
• John, William, Walter & Florence (sons and daughter of his son William)
• John Eastman & William (sons of Roger)
• Roger Estman (no relationship given, though a Roger is mentioned later as his son and executor)
• Elizabeth Barrye (servant)
• William Newman (servant)
• Richard Carter (parish clerk)
• Robert Carpenter & Nycholas Newman (overseers)
• Rychard Corke?. William Madye? & Richard Cates (witnesses)

---

[Latin] [Testamente] Joh[a]n[nes] Estman de Downton/.
In the name of god amen. the xxvj^ti Day of aprill in the
yere of o^ur lord god ccccc lxiiij /. I John Estman of Charleton
w[i]^thin the p[ar]yshe of Downton w[i]^thin the Comitie of wyltess hus
bandman, beynge sycke in body but p[er]fitt in memory. Do
make my last will & testame[n]t afyer this maner & forme
folowing. Fyrst & pryncipally I geve & bequeath my
sowle to almightie god my maker redeamer & savio^ur trustyng
bt the merrytts of his blessed passion to be [child?] of salvation
& my body to be buryed w[i]^thin the churche of salvation Saynt
Lawrence in Downton where my father Doth lye. It[e]m I
geve to o^ur Lady churche of Sar[um] xvjd It[e]m I geve to m^r

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vicar of Downton for my tythes forgotten [...] xijd It[e]m
I geve & bequeath to the repations of mt p[ar]yshe
churche of Downton [...] iijs iiijd It[e]m I geve & bequeath
to the repations of Catheryn brydge of Downton [...]xijd
It[e]m I geve & bequeath to Will[ia]m Estman my
Sonne my Sonne xltie shepe v of them shalbe ewes
& v of them shalbe [...] lambes. & in money good &
lawfull v^£ & ij acres of wheate the one
lying in hoker lynche & one half acre betw[ee]n
the lyncherd & [hy...] & the other half acre by the
grene thorne. It[e]m I geve & bequeath to John
will[ia]m walter & florence sones & Daughter
to the said will[ia]m Estman iij shepe apece
& to ev[er]y one of them in money good & lawfull
x^s a pece, and to eache of them one pewter platter
a pece & betwene yje said iiij children I geve
one sparked cow, w[hi]^ch Cowe goeth now in the
forrest & shalbe Distributed by the Discreation
of ther father. yf any of thes said iiij children Do
Decease or Dye before they come to p[er]fitt age to
make ther wills that then the legatye of them
that fayle or Dye shall remayne to them that lyveth
equally to be devyded betwene them & so from
the one to the other It[e]m I geve & bequeath unto
John Eastman & to Will[ia]m his brother sones to
Roger Estman iij shepe a pece & to eache of
them in money good & lawfull xs apece & a pewter
platter a pece & betwene them one blacke heyffer
yf the said John or Will[ia]m Decease or Dye before
they come to the age to make ther wills that then
the legatye of the one shall remayne to the other
It[e]m I geve & bequeath to Elizabeth barrye
my s[erva]nnt one yew and alambe It[e]m I geve
& bequeath to Will[ia]m newman my s[erva]nnt one
yewe It[e]m I geve & bequeathe to ev[er]y one of my

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god children iiijd apece/. yf they will come & aske hitt
of my executor It[e]m I geve and bequeath to Richard
Carter p[ar]yshe clerke of Downton half a [...] of wheat
& as mutche of mault The rest of all my goods mova
ble & unmovable herin not bequeathed my detts and
legatyes payd I geve & bequeath them all unto Roger
my sonne makynge hym my whole & sole executor
Desyring Rob[er]t Carpenter & nycholas newman to be
my ov[er]sears & they shall have for ther paynes iijs iiijd
a pece. wytness[e]s to this my last will & testame[n]t
Rychard Corke?. Will[ia]m madye? & Richard Cates

Probate in Latin granted to (executor not named) on 9th May 1565 at Sarum (Salisbury)

Sources

1. ↑ Probate: "Wiltshire, England, Wills and Probate, 1530-1858"
   Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Wiltshire Wills and Probates; Reference Number: P2/4Reg/193B; Reference Number: P2/4Reg/193B
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 61333 #45017 (accessed 10 March 2023)
   John Eastman probate in 1565. Occupation: Husbandman.